


The Last Time

by forestmagicwithin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-17
Updated: 2019-08-17
Packaged: 2020-09-05 22:09:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,808
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20280625
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/forestmagicwithin/pseuds/forestmagicwithin





	The Last Time

**The Last Time**

(1993-1994)

The ink on the newspaper boiled. His knuckles were white, gripping the edges of it as his fingers seared holes through to his palms.

He shouted. He tore it up. He burned right through everything but the pictures.

Cedric's image stared up at him from the floor, grey eyes in a blank face.

He shoved it under the bed with his shoe and set about destroying his pillows.

* * *

The summer of 1993 hadn't brought much change to Cedric's life. It was as every summer of his school years had been, playing Quidditch with Cho and studying magic with his father. Amos Diggory was an extremely proud man, and with Cedric being the "miracle child" he was (his mother had heavily relied on magical means to conceive, carry, and give birth to him), he felt it was his duty to live up to everything his father saw in him. As usual, Cho teased him. She understood it though, being an only child herself. He'd always felt as though they'd become each other's siblings, really.

That year brought him exactly what his father had predicted, however; captainship of the Hufflepuff Quidditch team.

"I swear, you'll never be able to marry after that," Cho told him cheerfully. He smacked her head with her copy of Witch Weekly, which contained the smoking remnants of Amos's ecstatic Howler. He couldn't for the life of him imagine how his father had found out so quickly; he'd only found out the day before.

"I'm serious! No one- _no one_\- would want that man hovering over their shoulders the rest of your lives, it would be maddening." She glanced behind her, but no one had followed them.

They'd been sitting at the Hufflepuff table, where Cedric had been supplying information on her new teammates. As the only girl on the Ravenclaw team that year, Cho was taking meticulous notes, asking question after question about strategy, technique, weaknesses she'd have to be aware of. He wouldn't normally offer up his perspective on another team to a member of that team, but she'd agreed to make a duplicate set for him, so he could review with his team before their first match against Ravenclaw. Her questions made the notes much better anyway, and he knew they'd come in handy for strategizing later.

It had been going rather well, really, until a bright red envelope was dropped into his eggs. Cho had at first thought it was meant for her, but the voice of Amos Diggory quite literally exploded out to prove her wrong. Cedric hadn't even touched it.

He'd pinned it between the pages of Cho's magazine and made a mad run for the door, barely keeping the pages held together. Ever the loyal little sister, Cho had followed him, giggling at the chaos.

"We'll just- can I flush this? We're flushing it."

Cho was surprisingly nonchalant about the destruction of her magazine. "Fine, I already took the weekly quiz for you anyway. Turns out you'll find love this year."

They ducked into the boy's bathroom. Earning frowns from a couple second-years, Cho followed him into a stall. Cedric spared her a half-grin, already mocking, as he dropped the packet and flushed it. "Is that it, then? Nothing about success in leadership, or winning the House Cup, or beating Slytherin?"

She rolled her eyes. "The stars don't care about Quidditch, unfortunately. Although the week before I found out I made the team, they predicted a pleasant surprise in my future."

"Oh, did they." He frowned at the swirling toilet bowl, which was smoking slightly.

Sighing impatiently, Cho tugged at his sleeve. "Well? Who do you think it could be?"

He shook her off. "Who... oh, my love. Probably Peeves. If I'm honest, there's always been something about his ectoplasm that just _gets_ me, you know? Great sense of humor too."

"I was right, you'll die alone," she said, resentful. She pulled out her wand, muttering a spell quickly to clear the pipes and quell the smoke. "But it's not just _any_ love they're predicting, it's a great love. Nearly soulmate-level. I mean, you probably know this person, they could be right in front of you and you've just never noticed them before."

It was always better to humor Cho's fanciful side. She only wanted the best for him, even with the craziest of her beliefs.

"Okay, let me think," he relented. "You told me a couple months ago that my 'soulmate' was very different from me-"

"And that they're probably in a different house..."

"Shocking how the stars can't spare time for Quidditch but know about our school houses," he mused. She gave him a look. "Well, alright, so probably not Hufflepuff. I have plenty of classes with the Slytherins, maybe it's someone from there."

Very slowly, Cho shook her head.

"Hmm, I- uh, hmm." His back pressed against the stall wall as Cho leaned forward, lips parting ever so slightly as she stared at him. "I guess the Gryffindors are always, uh, full of surprises..."

She fell back on her heels, recognizing the rejection. "Uh, yeah. Yeah, Gryffindors are really very... loud." Cheeks heating, she turned and shoved through the stall door. "I'll see you in class?" she called, voice pitched a bit too high as she left the bathroom.

Uncomfortable, Cedric rubbed the back of his neck. She'd been practically throwing hints in his face all summer, and he'd been fairly adept at dodging them til now. Then again, he hadn't spent the holiday trapped in a bathroom stall with her.

Eventually, they let their friendship forget that awkward conversation. By the next weekend, they were back into the old dynamic. Cho was begging him to transfigure her into something small, so she could listen in on the Captains' meeting, but he refused. They didn't even teach human transfiguration at Hogwarts, and he wasn't fully sure it was possible.

"Yes it is," she insisted, "it's _animagi_. I just don't know the wand motion for it, but..." She trailed off at the look on his face. "I swear it's a thing. Ravenclaws talk about all kinds of things in the common room, you pick up on stuff."

"Whatever you say. I really need to leave though, I'll be late." The timepiece dangling around his neck was helpfully jabbing him in the chest with the second hand.

He left the library in a hurry. It was the first Captains' meeting of the year, and his first ever. He hated being late to anything, but he didn't want to make a bad impression. He'd never interacted with the other captains all that much before.

Certainly he knew of them. It was nearly impossible to miss a rivalry like Flint and Wood's. Marcus and Oliver were in their final year at Hogwarts, something that would make them that much more determined to win. The Ravenclaw Captain, Roger Davies, was fifth-year like Cedric. He was in his second year of captaincy.

He knew they'd be viewing Hufflepuff as an easy fourth-place house for this year's Cup. They all had at least one year of experience on him, and he wasn't locked in a vicious rivalry that would fuel the crowd. That gave him an advantage over Davies, however (something he had not shared with Cho). Knowing that there was almost no beating Slytherin or Gryffindor for the top two spots, and secure in his knowledge that Hufflepuff would rank lowest, Davies would likely be more comfortable and relaxed this year than he should be. Cedric intended to rank above Ravenclaw and at least one of the other two teams.

The meeting went more or less as he'd expected. It was more an opportunity to show them who he was than for him to meet them. Madam Hooch led a discussion on a couple of new rules and safety measures that would be integrated into the year's matches, as well as the principles of leadership and methods on running a team efficiently.

He pretended at relative ignorance at some of the more advanced topics. His strategy was to lie low and remain unthreatening. Flint ignored him completely, and Davies's suspicious looks had all but ceased by the end of the meeting. Wood's eyes kept returning to him though, still calculating even as the group was gathering their things and preparing to leave.

He couldn't tell if Wood was seeing through the act or if he was still trying to size him up, but it was unnerving. He didn't try to approach Cedric, luckily, and he made his way back to the Hufflepuff common room alone, ready to incorporate what he'd learned about the other captains into his match plans.

* * *

His plan for the Hufflepuff-Gryffindor match did not play out as he'd anticipated. They'd definitely won, which was never bad news, but the Gryffindor seeker had fallen off his broom after Dementors had crossed over into the Quidditch pitch. He'd offered a rematch, though that gesture was more out of fairness than strategy. It was better if their victory was attributed to a fluke, rather than skill, For now, they needed to remain underestimated.

Surprisingly, Wood had rejected the offer. It seemed they shared the same values when it came to sportsmanship. He was certain Wood would be sure to crush them in their next match, however.

He wasn't worried. Even with the terrible conditions, not to mention the Dementors, his team had done well.

Strangely enough, the rematch offer came with unintended consequences. Wood began striking up casual conversation with him whenever he passed the Hufflepuff table or saw him in the library. Usually, they talked about international Quidditch teams and the upcoming World Cup. Other times, they'd discuss the looming threat of Sirius Black, or the seasonal depression the Dementors were causing everyone, or the professors. At one point, Wood invited him to go to Hogsmeade together. He was still uncertain if the whole things was a ploy to assess Hufflepuff's true strength and strategy, so he declined, choosing to skip the trip altogether that weekend.

The second time Wood invited him, near the end of term, he agreed. They'd grown closer, and it seemed like Wood was genuinely trying for a friendship. He was older than Cedric, but he knew they were even in brains and brooms, if not age and experience.

It was in the Three Broomsticks, over steaming mugs of Butterbeer, that Wood held Cedric's hand as it rested on the table. Madam Rosmerta passed by as Wood became Oliver, and snow caught in their eyelashes as they stopped on the way back to the castle for a kiss that warmed them both.

* * *

Cho knew, of course. She was the first one he told. He was so excited that he almost missed the slight sadness in her eyes. She told him how happy she was for him, and asked him question after question, and he could tell she was accepting it gracefully.

Holding hands and learning to be comfortable around one another took longer than Cedric wanted it to. Eventually, they worked out that neither ever minded holding hands, and that Oliver liked to spread out his long limbs, while Cedric liked drape himself over his boyfriend or be held. Oliver often commented that Cedric acted more like a cat than his cat Diana. She hadn't immediately taken to Cedric, but they ended up on rather indifferent terms, which was really the best he could've hoped for. He'd never been much of a cat person.

They took turns planning dates. Oliver was a fan of polaroid pictures and movie nights and other Muggle things, so most were new and interesting experiences. Cedric attempted to match this with elaborate planning, setting up spells or music or food beforehand and then bringing Oliver to the location. Surprising him was becoming once of Cedric's favorite pasttimes. Their favorite dates, oddly enough, were in the Forbidden Forest. Oliver knew a clearing that faeries had marked off hundreds of years ago, and their spell held strong, warding off all magical creatures. They'd lay out blankets and food and doze in the sunlight, talking and cloudwatching and complaining.

Oliver loved nothing more than competition. Game nights featuring Wizard's Chess and Exploding Snap were frequent, and Oliver introduced some Muggle games as well. He roped what felt like half of Hufflepuff into Twister on one occasion, leading to some very disturbing magical cheating by a few seventh-years. They held mini Quidditch matches against each other, once Cedric had finally assured himself that Oliver was truly with him for him, and not as an elaborate hoax to win the House Cup.

Gryffindor did win the House Cup. For a moment, as red and gold banners rolled down from the ceiling, Cedric was afraid everything was over. That old fear returned to him, and he snuck a glance at the Gryffindor table, which rather resembled a miniature parade. His eyes found Oliver easily, accustomed by now to searching him out.

Oliver stuck his tongue out, then grinned and blew him a kiss. All was well.

* * *

Midway through the summer, he couldn't hold off bringing it up any longer.

"What happens when I'm back in school?" he asked quietly.

They were lying in Oliver's backyard, his head resting on Oliver's stomach. Oliver's hand had tangled itself in Cedric's dark hair, and the other held Cedric's hand. It was perfect. He didn't want to ruin that, but he had to know.

"I imagine you'll fail out immediately," Oliver answered, nonchalant.

"Oli." He had just started using that nickname on Oliver, and it had an estimated 70% chance of getting him what he wanted.

Sighing, Oliver ran his fingers through his hair, placating him. "She won't tell you this, but Madam Pomfrey's office floo transports students without alerting the school or Ministry, as long as you're a minor. She uses it for extremely homesick kids or people with mental health issues, when they just need to be home for a bit. I couldn't visit you, but you could visit me. Once Puddlemere sets me up with accommodations, I'll owl you the address."

Sitting up, Cedric stared at him for a moment. Then he kissed him, pushing his head back against the grass.

Oliver responded all too willingly, but Cedric still had to ask something else. "So you see this lasting... a while then?"

Oliver's eyes met his, their gaze turning from loving to serious.

"It's only been eight months, so it might freak you out, but. I could very well see myself being a Mr. Oliver Diggory someday."

Eight months became a year. Cedric's sixth year became a Tournament.

* * *

"You know, they really should teach us how to floo with an animal," Cedric commented, as he stepped through the fireplace with the labrador.

Oliver was lying on the floor idly directing his broom through the air as it hovered over his hand. When he saw the pair, however, he scrambled to his feet. "I have several questions," he started. Cedric set the dog down and brought Oliver in for a series of gentle kisses before standing back, raising his eyebrows.

The soft look on Oliver's face splintered back into confusion. "Wait, how was the task? Were you hurt? Did we- did you win? How were the others? Did anyone fail? Where did you get the dog?"

Grinning widely, Cedric stepped to the side so the dog could properly meet Oliver. He'd missed the rapid-fire questions. "From the task, actually. She was originally a boulder; I transfigured her to distract the dragon."

Indignant, Oliver glanced sharply up at him. "You used her as _bait_?"

"She would never have been harmed, she's still got the strength of a boulder. Though luckily not the weight of one." Oliver gave him a final glare before standing and leading them both to the couch.

He described the tournament, grateful Oliver was tough enough that he didn't have to censor any of the unpleasantness. He'd gone right to Pomfrey before dropping in on Oliver, knowing how much even the smallest of his injuries bothered him.

Once he'd finished, he lay his head on Oliver's shoulder. He'd missed him too much; he'd have to snag one of Oli's sweatshirts before he left.

Oliver's fingers played through his hair for a minute or so, as he hummed absentmindedly. "Well, I'm glad I get to hear your account of things. Every paper and news source here is all about Harry. It's alarming the way he takes over everything."

Fondly, Cedric kissed his cheek, lacing their fingers together. "Really, Oli, I don't care."

"This is your year too. He's not even supposed to be _in_ the bloody thing, never mind being the centre star. You deserve-"

He squished Oliver's cheeks with one hand, planting a kiss on his duck lips before Oliver could swat him away. "The Goblet picked my name. That's it. Doesn't mean I deserve it, or I'm 'worthy', or whatever it is people think decides the champions. It's random; I just got lucky."

Oliver held Cedric's face, studying it for a moment before pressing a deep kiss to his lips. "You deserve everything, love," he whispered.

The lab jumped up between them, eager to add her own kisses to the mix. Laughing, Oliver knelt down to scratch her ears.

"Callie," he decided, glancing up at Cedric. "Callie Diggory."

The next several kisses were neither gentle nor dog-related.

* * *

"...and they've gone and grown a hedge maze over the Quidditch pitch. Every task gets worse, I can't wait for it to be over. Bagman swore it'll be back to normal after the tournament, at any rate."

"Bastards," Oliver mumbled, drowsy. Cedric lay across his lap, both comfortably settled in the burgundy chair by the fire. Diana purred insistently behind Oliver's head, but it was only making them sleepier.

"Right, yeah. Bastards." Cedric yawned, forgetting for a moment who he was dating. Even half-asleep, Oliver didn't miss the opportunity to stick his fingers in his mouth.

Yelping, Cedric pushed his arm away "Ugh, you taste like broom polish."

"Wonder why."

"You know, I think you're the only person who's actually more annoying when they're practically asleep."

"Mmm. Yes, but you love me for it, darling."

Cedric pressed a goodnight kiss to his lips before resigning himself to sleep. "I do."

* * *

"Oli, listen, you've got it all wrong. I took her because I was a champion and I needed a date. I could hardly trust Fleur, didn't know what she'd do, and any of the other girls could've been the ones trying to slip me love potions left and right. Cho's always been a friend."

Oliver's eyes narrowed. "Everyone thinks you're dating Cho. You took her to the ball. You go out with her to Hogsmeade. You walk her to classes, you bring her to photo shoots. you _hold her hand_. Am I missing something here?"

"Other than the fact that I'm very happily in a relationship? Yeah, a bit." Sighing, he rubbed his eyes. "It's what you wanted, isn't it, that everyone thinks I'm with someone who's not you."

"Don't even think about turning this on me, Diggory. I didn't ask for my boyfriend to go off and start dating someone else."

Usually when they used each other's last names, it was a joke. Cedric almost wanted to laugh, it still sounded so comical coming from Oliver, but he could see their argument was becoming too serious.

He reached for Oliver's hand. "Look, why don't we save this to fight over tomorrow. You had a hard practice, and I've had a tough day with all those reporters tailing me."

Oliver shook his head, pulling his hand out of reach. "No, no, because you leave and then two days later you're in the bloody paper with Fleur or Cho on your arm, not to mention how friendly you've gotten with Harry-"

"Are you seriously jealous of girls and Harry?" he interrupted. "Merlin, don't you trust me at all?"

The look in Oliver's eyes hurt.

He took a step back, biting his lip sharply. This was beyond petty jealousy. "You really don't trust me, then. Do you."

Oliver's eyes widened in fury, but he looked away.

The laugh that came from Cedric was too harsh. It was jagged glass around the edges, and it shocked both of them to hear it. But Cedric wasn't trying to control what he said anymore. "That's it then. After you're the one insisting we not go public for the sake of your career, after you're the one saying for me to claim I'm single and bat my bloody eyes at girls-"

"I never said for you to bat your eyes at anyone-"

"After all that," Cedric pushed on, "after I let it be all about _you you you_, you go and claim that I'm cheating with anyone within five feet of me. There's nothing for you to be jealous of, I don't even like that we're not public, but you just don't trust me? How the fuck can you do that?"

He watched Oliver clench his fists. He didn't care.

"Is it too much to ask of you that I come bloody first in your life?" demanded Oliver.

"First? Bloody first? There's no one else on the sodding list!" he shouted.

"Then why the _fuck_ are you dating Cho Chang?"

"She's just a friend! Merlin, Oliver!"

It was starting to become too much. All the tension and the worry over what _Oli_ felt, what _Oli_ wanted. He couldn't stand it. With the pressure of the tournament looming over him and no Quidditch to work off stress, he needed Oliver to be there for him. To support him. To be the person who would hold him, the only person he'd ever want to fall asleep with.

He was losing that. And it wasn't even his bloody fault.

"This is the last time you're _ever_ coming here, you hear me?" Oliver shouted.

Cedric glared at him; his eyes were stinging, but he'd be damned if he let Oliver make him cry. "Don't know why you think I'd want to."

* * *

Oliver couldn't stop staring at the photographs later. He watched as _Harry_ clung to him, refusing to let go- Oliver had to look away.

Not because he thought Harry had loved him. Not because of jealousy. But the way Cedric's head and shoulders bobbed. completely lifeless and unresisting, tore at him. It wasn't right for him to be moved like that, to even be touched at all.

He should've been there. Or Cedric should've been with him, and they should've slept through the whole thing. He should be mourning a boyfriend, not an ex. He should've been there. He should've been there.

Instead, he watched Harry James Potter, the Boy Who Lived, cry over the greatest thing he was sure he'd ever know.

ever known.


End file.
